The Elder Scrolls - Editorial @ CNN

Pete Hines, vice president of public relations and marketing for Bethesda Softworks, told CNN it is that willingness to give the player freedom that endears the game to its fans.

"You get to make your own story versus everybody else presenting you something where you are playing their story," Hines said. "I think that has continued to resonate with folks as gaming has gotten more popular."

Those "folks" add up. There were more than 20 million copies sold for just one game in the franchise -- "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim."

Compare that to one of the most talked about fantasy book franchises, "Game of Thrones." Random House's Bantam Books said it has sold more than 24 million copies of all five books in the series ... combined.

If sales don't impress you, how about sheer size? Tamriel is roughly 7.54 million square miles of land for players to explore, while Westeros (home to much of "Game of Thrones") is thought to be about 800,000 square miles and J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth is 3 million square miles.

Friday - November 15, 2013

The Elder Scrolls - Editorial @ GamrMag

by Couchpotato, 04:04

GamrMag has a new article that takes a look at the legacy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.

The legacy of The Elder Scrolls resides mostly in its impact to the RPG genre. Other developers are constantly copying the size and scope of Bethesda’s maps, lore and detail. Where we may see further legacy, however, is in the MMORPG installment of The Elder Scrolls franchise. As Bethesda attempts to they combat the giant of World of Warcraft they venture into territory many believe is not right for a series so built up on single player experience. Only time will tell how successful The Elder Scrolls: Online will prove to be, but for those gamers who are worried about the future of solo Elder Scrolls experience, my advice is simply…don’t. If Bethesda is approaching multiplayer in the MMO way it probably means that they are less likely to tack a multiplayer mode onto the single-player we all know and love and ruin it. If they are successful perhaps the legacy they leave behind will be less about the worlds they have created and more about the ones they put to rest.

Saturday - September 21, 2013

Elder Scrolls Anthology - Review @ GameDynamo

This is a somewhat unusual review to write, in that it's not a review of the games themselves, whose legacies speak for themselves, but rather the process of collecting them and the effort that went into their presentation. The Elder Scrolls Anthology, currently available exclusively for PC, collects Bethesda's epic series from its beginnings as Elder Scrolls Arena, right up to the contemporary epic of Skyrim. Along with copies of the games themselves, all of the DLC is included.

It's important to note that this is a re-release and not an upgrade, especially considering that other adored classic games (like Duck Takes Remastered) have been completely re-worked before they reappeared. All of the games in this collection appear in their original format; as a result, Arena and Daggerfall run on an included DOS emulator. Having these games in their original form will hit gamers who have been with the series since the beginning right in the nostalgia sweet spot, while gamers who came to the series later will be able to see where and how it all began. The games have aged well, though much younger games might be put off by the enhanced graphics, there is something to be said for preserving them.

Taken individually, each Elder Scrolls game is a huge narrative universe, with tons of potential for exploration. All together, The Elder Scrolls Anthology is a collection that is tantalizingly easy to get lost in. The addictive potential of the Elder Scrolls games are somewhat infamous, and with all of them sitting there tantalizingly in one box, it's all the more easy to obsess over these worlds and stories.

Wednesday - September 11, 2013

The Elder Scrolls - Skyrim vs. Oblivion

by Couchpotato, 00:36

PCGamerHub has a new opinion article were they debate is Skyrim, or Oblivion the better game. I can't wait to see your opinions in the comment section. As for me I pick Skyrim so debate away my fellow forum readers.

You wouldn’t call it an age old battle, unless you loved the Elder Scrolls as much as I do. So an age old battle is what we’ll call it.

Oblivion. Skyrim. And one ring to rule… Wait, that’s not right. Truthfully, the storyline of both these – say it with me – awesome games is hardcore smack-you-in-the-face fantasy. Ain’t nothing better than that. Or is there? Perhaps the sandbox style gameplay. Or the amazing graphics. Or the cheeky NPCs.

Yes, the Elder Scrolls series is great. In fact, it’s so great it’s almost diabolical. There’s just one problem: which of these two recent games is better?

For a lot of people this might be a no-brainer. Skyrim is newer, sexier and has dragons. But don’t judge a book by its cover – or a tavern wench by her skirt stains – because there’s a lot more to a great game than just its graphics.

I remember the day I picked up Oblivion for the first time. I remember the name of the character I made, her race and her class. I can’t say the same for Skyrim. And that says a lot. Perhaps, Oblivion evokes a sense of nostalgia in my inherently girly goblin-slaying heart, but I can’t shake that feeling of excitement. It’s the reason I ordered the 5th Anniversary edition of the game.

Tuesday - September 10, 2013

The Elder Scrolls - Anthology Available

Bethesda let us know that The Elder Scrolls Anthology is available today in the US and in a few days in other areas.

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Platform: PC

Price: $79.99 / £49.99 / €59.99 / 89.99 AUD

Release Date: September 10, 2013 (US), September 13, 2013

Description:

For the first time in the history of the award-winning saga, experience The Elder Scrolls®as one extraordinary collection. The Elder Scrolls® Anthology features all five critically-acclaimed games, plus official add-ons in a premium collectible box set - beginning with The Elder Scrolls: Arenaand concluding with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition. The Anthology also includes a set of five physical maps detailing Tamriel, Iliac Bay, Morrowind, Cyrodiil and Skyrim. Own this essential collection and experience the series that defined the open-world genre.

Key Features:

Arena

Assume the role of a lone prisoner and travel to Tamriel's most famous and dangerous sites to collect the shattered Staff of Chaos and save the Empire from the evil Imperial battlemage, Jagar Tharn. The Anthology features the original version of Arena and will launch within a DOS emulator.

Daggerfall

The ancient golem Numidium, a powerful weapon once used to unify Tamriel has once again been unearthed. In the power struggle that follows, the King of Daggerfall is murdered and his vengeful spirit haunts the kingdom. The Emperor Uriel Septim VII sends you on a heroic path to put the king's spirit to rest and ensure that the golem does not fall into the wrong hands. The Anthology features the original version of Daggerfall and will launch within a DOS emulator.

Morrowind

To fulfill an ancient prophecy, the Emperor sends you, an unknown Imperial courier, to the island of Vvardenfell to rid the land of Morrowind of a dark curse. Through a series of dangerous and magical quests, you are transformed into one of the Empire's most enduring heroes. Also includes: Tribunal and Bloodmoon add-ons, plusThe Elder Scrolls Construction Set.

Oblivion

With the Empire ready to crumble, the gates of Oblivion open and demons march upon the land. In the shadow of evil, a hero will rise from the ashes of a fallen Empire. You must find the true heir of the Septim line and restore him to the Imperial throne, while unraveling the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. Also includes: Knights of the Nine andShivering Isles expansions.

Skyrim

Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel. The future of Skyrim, even the Empire itself, hangs in the balance as they wait for the prophesized Dragonborn to come; a hero born with the power of The Voice, and the only one who can stand amongst the dragons. Also includes: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons.

Sunday - August 11, 2013

The Elder Scrolls - Where Does The Elder Scrolls Go From Here?

So what form will The Elder Scrolls VI take? The franchise stands at a sort of crossroads right now. Skyrim pushed the boundaries of visual quality and persistence within the series. With a few minor mods, its PC version can be downright stunning, and it has a remarkable capacity to remember what's changed -- even an arrow you fired off and lost track of 100 hours earlier. Skyrim also pushed the limits of console hardware, barely even running on PlayStation 3 and making the Xbox 360 whimper for mercy as well.

At the same time, Skyrim greatly simplified many of the series' mechanics, much to the dismay of long-time enthusiasts. While some of its streamlining proved to be a welcome sight -- did anyone really miss the Acrobatics stat, which inevitably inspired players to grind for it by jumping like idiots from one end of Tamriel to the other? -- the loss of other features struck some players as an unfortunate dumbing-down of the game to appeal to the console audience. The simplified menu system, for example, worked perfectly on a console controller, but those who preferred mouse-and-keyboard controllers detested it.

As I discussed in my review of Skyrim, there are some issues that hold this game back from being truly great. Bethesda’s inability to adjust the combat system to take into account the brilliance we’ve seen in the likes of Dark Souls, as well some of the nastiest bugs this side of Fallout New Vegas holds the game back from a technical perspective.

On the other hand, the game is one of breathtaking scope. Rare is the game where I can spend an hour, if not more, just reading the in-game books of lore that have come from the previous four games. Every time I came across a bookshelf I felt a need to read each and every tome, because this is a breathing world with a real sense of history about it.

It was also good to see Bethesda step back to the more open structure in Skyrim. Oblivion had me a bit worried the series was heading in a more linear direction.

Wednesday - April 13, 2011

The Elder Scrolls - Top 10 Gods @ IGN

Of all the evil entities in the Elder Scrolls universe, Mehrunes Dagon is easily the most prolific. He really gets around, even for a Daedric prince. He meddled in Imperial Throne ascension, attacked the Battlespire and tried to destroy the Septims. Oh, also, he attempted to invade the mortal world by opening the gates to Oblivion and kicking everyone's ass with his four-armed self. So there's that. But I've just never found Dagon all that interesting. Maybe it's because he's spreading himself too thin. I mean, can't the guy just focus on one thing and do it really well? He's great at natural disasters, so maybe he should work on that for a while. After all, what kind of ancient netherworld-dwelling Daedric prince gets his ass kicked in his own house by an Argonian with a spear and a leather vest? Lame.

Monday - December 27, 2010

Decrypting the Elder Scrolls @ GameInfomer

by Dhruin, 23:23

GameInformer.com reprints one of their print articles, titled Decrypting The Elder Scrolls. The piece discusses each game in the series so far, through various developer quotes. A sample on Daggerfall:

Daggerfall in my memory is mostly flavored by how large it was. It was something we really struggled with during the project. We were never sure if it was big to just be big, since it was randomly generated. We could dial up or dial down the size very easily. But it became the sum of its parts. You could do so much. It’s also the Elder Scrolls game that introduced the skills system, and the whole “you improve by doing” paradigm, which I think defines the series in many ways. You really felt like the character you played was up to you, and not the game. – Todd Howard

It was 1995 and we were working on Daggerfall. We were building out the small shrines that were randomly sprinkled around the Iliac Bay. I happened to travel to one around sunset. The bright orange wisps framed the crumpled entrance to a hidden shrine. I thought to myself, “***, this game looks amazing.” Little did I know what the future held. – Bruce Nesmith, Design Director

"This source not only confirmed that the game is in current production, but also spoke briefly about the content - with fantasy-sounding phrases like Dragon Lord, something with The Blades - and that voice acting for the characters in the game is currently happening in the weeks to follow.

"The same source confirmed, with official game documents in hand, that this will be the chronological sequel to what happened in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which is the latest game in the now 16-years-old Elder Scrolls saga and by itself one of the better RPGs for PC and consoles.

"The sequel to Oblivion is coming, we can hereby confirm without hesitation. It's been a while since 2006, hasn't it?"

Monday - January 18, 2010

The Elder Scrolls - Trivia Contest

Elder Scrolls fans, get your thinking caps on! In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing some tricky trivia — questions that even caused some of our BGS developers to scratch their heads — put together by the fine folks at The Imperial Libary. Big thanks to them, as well as Todd, Kurt, Bruce, and Emil for their fact checking and input.

Additionally, we’ll be randomly giving away copies of The Infernal City: An Elder Scrolls Novel — signed by author Greg Keyes — to participants that correctly answer the trivia (see rules at the end of this post).

With that said, here’s the first question…

After Talos acquired and powered the Numidium, the mage Zurin Arctus supposedly became known as the Underking. However, records make mention of another Underking, long before Arctus’ time. What was this Underking’s name at the end of the Second Era?

Sunday - November 01, 2009

The Elder Scrolls - An Excerpt from Chapter One of The Infernal City

by Skavenhorde, 02:14

Random House has posted an excerpt from the first chapter of The Infernal City. You are introduced to two characters, Annaïg and Mere-Glim. Annaïg is a human woman and Mere-Glim is an Argonian. The excerpt is a brief adventure the two share in Black Marsh. Check it out for yourself if you're curious about the book. Just as a side note, there are no other characters constantly jumping around to train their acrobatics skill.

Saturday - October 24, 2009

The Elder Scrolls - Novel Foreshadows TESV?

by Dhruin, 11:56

Kotaku has noticed a book retailer's blurb for the upcoming Elder Scrolls novel The Infernal City mentions TESV. I'm not seeing the same thing, so perhaps it has been changed - but here's the novel synopsis they reported:

"A novel that takes places forty-five years after the Oblivion Crisis, which is the story of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion game and the expansion pack Shivering Isles. It partly bridges the gap for the next game, which is set 200 years after the Oblivion crisis."

Monday - April 27, 2009

The Elder Scrolls - Novels Announced

by Dhruin, 22:39

Straight from Bethsoft comes the announcement of Elder Scrolls novels:

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS AND DEL REY BOOKS ANNOUNCE NOVELS BASED ON THEELDER SCROLLS VIDEO GAME SERIES

Rockville, MD – April 27, 2009 – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, and Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, are pleased to announce that Del Rey Books will publish two novels based on Bethesda Softworks’ award-winning, high-fantasy video game series, The Elder Scrolls®. The best-selling game series is known for giving the player the ability to choose how their story will play out and unfold, and for the incredible amount of lore and depth found in these rich game worlds.

Penned by New York Times bestselling author Greg Keyes, the novels will be all-new, original stories based in The Elder Scrolls universe. The first novel – The Infernal City – is set to be published in Fall 2009. Among Keyes’ prior works are the Age of Unreason tetrology (for which he won the prestigious "Le Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire" award), and three New York Times bestselling Star Wars novels in the New Jedi Order series.

“We’ve been big fans of Greg’s work for a long time, and we’re thrilled he agreed to bring his talents to The Elder Scrolls,” said Pete Hines, vice president of public relations and marketing for Bethesda Softworks. “We see these books as a natural extension of the franchise and think fans will love the stories and characters Greg has created.”

The Infernal City is set after the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, the latest game in the video game series, and finds the citizens of Tamriel once again facing an uncertain future. Floating high above the land is a strange and mysterious city that is casting a horrifying shadow – wherever it falls, people die and rise again as undead. It is up to an unlikely duo – a seventeen-year-old girl named Annaig and the Emperor’s young son, Prince Attrebus – to rescue the kingdom from doom. Annaig and Attrebus’ quest will take them through the Elder Scrolls universe and their adventure is sure to add to the series’ already magnificent mythology.